May 2 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers @ Sacramento River Cats

TACOMA RAINIERS (17-12) @ SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS (19-10)
Thursday, May 2 • 6:45 PM • Sutter Health Park • Sacramento, CA
LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-2, 3.86) vs. RHP Spencer Howard (1-0, 5.59)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tacoma and Sacramento will play game three of their six-game series, with the River Cats currently holding a two-game lead over the Rainiers. Tacoma will send lefty Dallas Keuchel to the mound, looking to earn the team’s first win of the series and his first since April 12. Keuchel is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in four starts for Tacoma this year, allowing nine earned runs on 20 this including four home runs, walking three batters compared to 11 strikeouts. On the other side, Sacramento will send Spencer Howard to the mound, looking for their third straight victory. Howard comes into play tonight with a 1-0 record and a 5.59 ERA through five starts with Sacramento. The right-hander has given up 12 earned runs on 23 hits and nine walks, striking out 22 batters in 19.1 innings.

GET THEM GOING: Tacoma entered the current series on a three-game winning streak, outscoring El Paso 24-9 over that stretch. In their final two games against the Chihuahuas, the Rainiers combined for 26 hits, getting 10 on Saturday and 16 in a six-inning, rain-shortened contest on Sunday. Unfortunately for Tacoma, the hitting has not translated into their current series, as they have lost each of the first two games, recording just five hits in each game.

RARE TERRITORY: Tacoma is in a spot they have not yet been this season, down 2-0 in the series to Sacramento. Despite going just 3-3 in series openers this year, the Rainiers had not lost back-to-back games to start a series until now. The team has a 4-1 record through their first five series this year, winning all three at home and going 1-1 on the road. With their loss last night, Tacoma has now lost six straight road games, dating back to April 18 at Las Vegas.

BACK ON TRACK: Dallas Keuchel will look to get back into the win column tonight after losing consecutive outings. His last game was the toughest of the young season for the veteran lefty, as he allowed a season-high six runs (five earned) on 10 hits. He gave up two long balls and one walk while striking out two over 5.0 innings. The five earned runs allowed was one more than the total (four) he had allowed in his first three starts of the year combined. After winning each of his first two starts and holding a 0.90 ERA, the 36-year-old is 2-2 and now has an ERA of 3.86 after his last two games.

EARLY RECOGNITION: Saturday’s projected starter, Jhonathan Diaz, was named Minor League Pitcher of the Month for the month of April by the Seattle Mariners this morning. The southpaw went 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA (9 ER, 33.0 IP) with 4 walks and 36 strikeouts in 6 games (5 starts), leading the Rainiers to a 5-0 record in his starts. Díaz led the Pacific Coast League in WHIP (0.88), ranking T-1st in wins (4), 2nd in strikeouts (36), 2nd in opponent batting average (.208) and 3rd in ERA (2.45) during the month. The left-hander posted a 0.38 ERA (1 ER, 24.0 IP) with 1 walk and 27 strikeouts over his first 4 outings of the year, highlighted by his 10-strikeout performance on April 4 at Salt Lake. The Valencia, Venezuela native has spent 3 seasons (2021-23) in the Majors with the Los Angeles Angels, going 2-1 with a 4.84 ERA (19 ER, 35.1 IP) in 11 games (6 starts). Díaz was signed by the Mariners as a minor league free agent with an invitation to Major League Spring Training on Feb. 7, 2024.

FREE PASSES: Sacramento drew six walks as a team in yesterday’s 6-3 win over Tacoma, playing a big part in their three-run victory. Four of the six walks came around to score, including all three in the fifth inning. The fifth was the final inning for Levi Stoudt, who walked five batters in his start. His five walks allowed marked the most for any Rainiers’ pitcher in a single game this season, surpassing the previous mark of four which had been done two times.

AGAINST SACRAMENTO: Sacramento got their 250th all-time win against Tacoma last night and now leads the all-time series over the Rainiers by nine games, at 250-541. The River Cats enter play tonight holding a 2-0 series lead over Tacoma, growing their first place standing in the PCL West to two games over Tacoma as well.

SHORT HOPS: Yesterday was the first time Tacoma has lost on a Wednesday all season, as they are now 4-1 in Wednesday games…Tacoma has now lost six straight road games, dating back to April 18 at Las Vegas; they are 6-8 on the road and 11-4 at home this year…yesterday was the fourth time the Rainiers have lost a game in which they scored first this season, going 13-4 in such contests.